Pictured l. to r.: Chikongola Linton, Jasmine Stocks, Latrina Bowman, Vanessa Mndolo, Assistant Professor Carla Barqueiro, Bijan Davis, Elizabeth Mohamed and Randa Collins. (graduates not pictured: Christophe Mazur and Jessica Wightman)

On Friday, Dec. 11 and Saturday, Dec. 12, the fall 2015 graduates of the masters programs in Negotiations and Conflict Management (CNCM) and Global Affairs and Human Security (GAHS), gave their final capstone presentations in the Wright Theater of the Student Center to an audience of faculty, classmates, family and friends. The presentations were based on individual research papers developed throughout the semester as part of each program’s capstone course, taught by Adjunct Professor Kevin DeBell (CNCM) and Assistant Professor Carla Barqueiro (GAHS). Topics ranged from assessing effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution initiatives in the federal government to analyzing the impact of educational reform in Ghana to assessing responses to human trafficking in Thailand.

Following the presentations on Saturday afternoon, graduates and their families from both programs attended a celebratory dinner organized by the Global Affairs and Human Security Student Association headed by Latrina Bowman, and the Negotiations and Conflict Management Student Association led by Adnan Hameed. Associate Professor Sascha Sheehan, who is the director of both graduate programs, congratulated all of the graduates, thanked faculty, and highlighted the role family members and friends played in providing support and encouragement to the graduates throughout their studies. The CNCM and GAHS graduates will receive their degrees this Wednesday, Dec. 16 at UB’s fall 2015 commencement ceremony.